Each person is responsible for those whom he tamed. Therefore, if you have a pet, then you need to not only enjoy its existence, pet it and caress it, play with it and do other things that bring you pleasure. You also need to take care of your pet, because he himself is not able to do it. Especially when it comes to health - absolutely everything is in your hands. Many people ask the question: “What can go wrong?”, And the answer to this question can be short and clear - almost everything. Animals can get sick with a wide variety of diseases, and your task is to prevent their appearance or to cure if the disease has already manifested. This article will examine one of the most famous problems - kidney failure in a dog. This disease is quite common, and the saddest thing is that most often it manifests itself due to the carelessness of the owners. So if you want to save your pet from torment, you should learn absolutely everything about what constitutes renal failure in a dog.
What it is?
Renal failure in a dog is a disease that most often develops closer to old age. What is she like? Throughout a dog’s life, its kidneys function at full capacity to filter out all the harmful substances that enter the body. Under such a load, a gradual deterioration of the internal organ occurs, and the cells begin to fail. Accordingly, they cannot perform their functions, as a result of which toxins penetrate the body, spread through it, slowly killing the dog. Renal failure is diagnosed when the number of dead cells exceeds half. It is then that the corresponding symptoms begin to be felt. Why so late? Renal failure in a dog has one feature that you should definitely be aware of if you do not want your pet to have this disease.
Cell work
Like any other disease, kidney failure develops gradually. It does not come suddenly, at one point, so you should think about how to prevent it. However, this is not easy. The point is precisely in the feature mentioned above - it is because of it that the renal failure in dogs cannot be determined with the naked eye. The stages of the development of the disease quietly pass from one to another, since the kidney cells that remain after dying take on the functions of those that can no longer fulfill them. Accordingly, they simply redistribute the load while they can do it without harming the body. And when do health problems begin to be noticeable? Just after fifty percent of the cells fail, as mentioned earlier. That is why you need to pay special attention to a disease such as kidney failure in dogs. You can find out the symptoms and treatment of this disease from this article.
Stages of the disease
Briefly it is necessary to talk about the issue that has already been raised above. What are the stages of a disease such as kidney failure in dogs? Symptoms and treatment are different for each of them, so it is important to know at what stage the disease is. So, the first is the initial one, which is almost elusive. You will have to try to notice it, as your pet will not show any obvious symptoms. The clinical stage will be described in this article as thoroughly as possible, since it is on it that all the main symptoms become noticeable, and almost all treatment courses are prescribed for it. As for the final stage, then you should in no case allow its onset. The fact is that it occurs when more than seventy percent of the kidney cells are destroyed, after that it is almost impossible to restore the organ, and your dog will have a disappointing future. However, it is precisely so that you do not allow the onset of the final stage, and this article exists, which will provide you with all the necessary information.
Symptoms
You have to find out absolutely everything about a disease such as kidney failure in dogs: treatment, prognosis, and most importantly, the symptoms by which you can determine that something is wrong with your pet. So, the main and most important of them is the strong thirst that the dog experiences. She can drink huge quantities of water, will try to find her throughout the house and beyond. But this symptom is not the only one - you should also pay attention to increased urination, decreased appetite and subsequent weight loss to animals, as well as signs of loss of strength, such as lethargy, constant fatigue, lack of mobility. Thus, if your cheerful and joyful pet suddenly refuses to eat and get up from one place, and all he wants is water, then you have a serious problem that you should definitely contact your veterinarian. Simply put, this is kidney failure in dogs. There is no sense in predicting the course of the disease right away - this pathology is not a sentence for the animal. You need to see a doctor to find out what stage the disease is at, and after that you can already find out the course of treatment, and forecasts and recommendations for further care of the animal.
Symptoms of a critical condition
Of course, I don’t want to talk about this - I want to hope that all dog owners will be attentive to their pets enough to notice the first manifestations of the disease in time. But nevertheless, it is also worth knowing about what symptoms of this disease are not at the first, but at the last stages. Critical acute renal failure in dogs is already showing much more unpleasant symptoms. Firstly, a dog in the mouth on the mucous membrane can begin to appear numerous ulcers - the result of exposure to toxins on the body. Secondly, the dog may begin to lose balance out of the blue, and it may also experience cramps and trembling. And thirdly, the dog may begin vomiting, in which it will be possible to notice the remnants of undigested food. Also, this vomiting will be accompanied by foam from the mouth. Naturally, you should not bring the pet to such a critical state, you should not joke with such a disease as renal failure. You already know the symptoms of this disease, but there is one more point that you should pay attention to, and if you do everything right, then you may never see any signs of the disease.
Lab tests
If you have at least the slightest suspicion that your dog is developing kidney failure, you should definitely visit a veterinarian and do some laboratory tests. The fact is that the effectiveness of the kidneys can be easily checked using a blood test for urea and creatinine. As mentioned above, it is impossible to identify the disease at the initial stages, since living cells distribute the functions of the dead among themselves, so the level of urea and creatinine in the blood will be normal. And it is this norm that you should constantly check. For a dog, the presence of one to two milligrams of creatinine and 10-25 milligrams of urea per hundred milliliters of blood is considered normal.
What indicators should be of concern?
Always focus on the upper threshold - if the indicators begin to approach it, then you already have reasons for concern. Why try so hard and strain? The bottom line is that, as is the case with most diseases, the sooner renal failure is diagnosed, the easier it will be cured and the better the prognosis for the dog.
Disease treatment
It's time to talk about the most important point regarding a disease such as kidney failure in dogs - treatment. There is only one solution, and fortunately, it is quite effective. Your pet will need infusion detoxification therapy. What does it mean? This means that a special solution will be introduced into the body in the form of a liquid, which will cleanse your dog's body of those toxins that are passed through gradually failing kidneys. This therapy will allow you to attack the disease immediately from all directions.
How does therapy work?
Firstly, it quenches a pet’s thirst, secondly, it relieves the toxins of the animal’s body, and thirdly, it reduces the burden on the kidneys, which already work to the limit. Accordingly, depending on the severity of the disease, this therapy will have its frequency. If the disease was diagnosed already in the clinical stage, then therapy sessions will need to be carried out daily, if it was detected at a critical stage, then the sessions will have to be carried out more often. So, the sooner you can notice your pet's problem, the less you and he will have problems. In addition to infusion therapy, any medications that can alleviate the course of the disease and contribute to the effectiveness of treatment can also be prescribed.
Further therapy
And, of course, chronic kidney failure in dogs is a disease that will not go away, since the cells of this internal organ cannot be restored. You can only normalize the state of the body and then maintain it in a healthy state on your own. To do this, you will need to either periodically visit the veterinarian for intravenous therapy, or if the disease was not at a critical stage, you can conduct this therapy subcutaneously at home. One way or another, you need to constantly consult a veterinarian to determine the effectiveness of treatment and the frequency of further sessions.
Food
Well, the last moment that you should focus on is nutrition. When the worst is left behind, you will need to think about what to do next. How to keep your pet in good condition? To do this, you will need to think as much as possible of his diet. Fortunately, a wide variety of diet foods for pets are now publicly available, and among them you can find special options for dogs with kidney failure.
How to feed a dog?
One of the clearest examples is the Hills Prescription Diet Canine, which is available in two variations. One of them is intended for dogs that are sick with kidney failure, while the other is designed for those animals that suffer from a severe stage of the disease. How is this food different from usual? It has a completely different composition, which contains much less protein, phosphorus and sodium, that is, those elements that put a big strain on the kidneys and can contribute to the accumulation of toxins in the body. Instead, there are more soluble fiber and vitamins, as well as omega-3 fatty acids in these foods. Depending on how much the disease has affected the body of the animal, the diet can be either permanent, that is, lasting until the end of the pet’s life, or temporary. Food for dogs with kidney failure is what you should pay special attention to, do not try to save on this. If the doctor tells you to buy a special medical feed - it is better to invest in it.
Herbal Treatment
Many dog owners believe that they can cope with the disease on their own, look for information that it can be affected by certain medicinal herbs, such as dandelion, nettle or alfalfa, so they decide that they do not need specialist help. However, this is a very big mistake - it is impossible to argue with the fact that such herbs, with the right approach, can provide serious help in the fight against the disease, but it is impossible to cure renal failure exclusively with them. So do not torment your animal with attempts at home treatment - always consult a specialist.